1. < Heart Rhythm Conditions

What downside have you experienced after an ablation?

Posted by mishel @mishel, Dec 5, 2024

I am 69 and have had an abib episodes every 2 months for a year; otherwise, I am healthy. I am approaching a decision to have an ablation and am assessing Pulsed Field Ablation vs. RF ablation and general anesthesia vs. deep sedation. I would love to know if you have experienced side effects such as tiredness, Hemolysis, Cardiac spasm, Gastric issues, Other. Have you tried to take medications such as Flacainade instead of having an ablation?
Thank you so much!

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teacher2001 | @teacher2001 | Mar 16 8:54am
In reply to @bunstuffer "My husband had ablation in 2023 when he was 79. He unfortunately had lots of after..." + (show)
@bunstuffer

My husband had ablation in 2023 when he was 79. He unfortunately had lots of after effects such as gastro-intestinal issues. He can't eat one bite beyond being satiated or he gets sick. He's out of rhythm most of the time despite having had 6 aversions and taking amiodarone along with other heart meds like metoprolol. Our next door neighbor has the same issue but he's had 3 ablations. Last checkup they told my husband he had been out of rhythm continuously for over 6 months. He spontaneously goes back in rhythm like last Sunday and feels great but usually for only a few hours. Monday morning he was feeling bad again. He sometimes sleeps 18 hours a day. the docs say he sleeps so much because it's like he's running constantly because of the Afib. He's scheduled for a "super" ablation 4-3 and I hope and pray it helps. These procedures are miracles for many people but can also disappoint. Everyone is different so results can't be predicted.

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After my ablation I was prescribed Pantoprazole Sodium 40mg for a month to help combat any gastro intestinal issues. Maybe ask for this after your next ablation.

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wcuro | @wcuro | Mar 16 9:50am
In reply to @bunstuffer "Thanks. He has a long story starting with repeated falls from meds he was taking for..." + (show)
@bunstuffer

Thanks. He has a long story starting with repeated falls from meds he was taking for restless legs. This culminated with his having a brain bleed and spending 7 weeks in the hospital. He came home from the rehab hospital looking like the Michelin Man so was back in for heart failure. He came home and within 2 weeks was back in with emergency hernia surgery. It goes on from there but I won't continue. It is such a horrible experience to go to the ER that he now says he would rather die than go. It is always full and you will likely end up in the hallway or even in one end of the waiting room and wait hours for any help. When he had to use the bathroom, an attendant handed me a urinal for him to use. I guess it's this way in ERs almost everywhere. He developed the Afib after the brain bleed but I don't know if there is a connection. Since we have no family other than cousins who live 200 miles away it all falls to me and I'm getting tired.

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If he is taken to the hospital in an ambulance, he will be seen right away. Your insurance might cover the cost of the transport.

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aard | @aard | Mar 17 8:37am

I had been on Flecanaide, Diltiazem, and Eliquis to control my a-fib for about 2 years. Then the meds became less effective, I had a cryoablation at 67 and under deep sedation for the procedure. In the hospital for about 5 or 6 hours, mostly to make sure the incision site was stable, and home the same night. I had a-fib off and on for about 2 months, which was expected, while the heart healed. I was on flecanaide, diltiazem, and eliquis prior to my procedure and then for about 5 months after, then off of everything. About 3 months in, I went to Nepal and did a 2 week trek, then a trek for 30 days far from any medical help. I did not have any other side effects.

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1 reply
queenofjacks | @queenofjacks | Mar 17 9:24am

Mishel, did you ever have an ablation?

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tman1172 | @tman1172 | Mar 18 7:47am

I had ablation last April 2024 and been on amiodorane for almost a year

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1 reply
gloaming | @gloaming | Mar 18 12:25pm
In reply to @tman1172 "I had ablation last April 2024 and been on amiodorane for almost a year" + (show)
@tman1172

I had ablation last April 2024 and been on amiodorane for almost a year

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Would you be willing to share why it is that you feel, or your cardiologist or electrophysiologist, feels that you need to be on amiodarone? You are the first person I seem to recall who is on amiodarone after an ablation, unless there are other factors at play. Some need flecainide, for example, maybe for the blanking period that follows, and some ablations fail and the patient resumes arrhythmia and needs the help of an anti-arrhythmic. Amiodarone, as you surely are aware, is a potent drug, sort of the 'last resort' drug, so I'm curious. Please don't feel the least bit inclined to reply if you'd rather not.

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2 replies
tman1172 | @tman1172 | Mar 18 1:01pm
In reply to @gloaming "Would you be willing to share why it is that you feel, or your cardiologist or..." + (show)
@gloaming

Would you be willing to share why it is that you feel, or your cardiologist or electrophysiologist, feels that you need to be on amiodarone? You are the first person I seem to recall who is on amiodarone after an ablation, unless there are other factors at play. Some need flecainide, for example, maybe for the blanking period that follows, and some ablations fail and the patient resumes arrhythmia and needs the help of an anti-arrhythmic. Amiodarone, as you surely are aware, is a potent drug, sort of the 'last resort' drug, so I'm curious. Please don't feel the least bit inclined to reply if you'd rather not.

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Yes I was told it's to help the rhythm after ablation, when I first started they had me on loading phase of amiodorane and man I tell ya it was harsh, I'm on 200mg (1 tab) a day now, was told wouldn't stay on it, when I go see electrophysiologist next in like a month definitely asking when do I come off of it, I've been looking into electrophysiologist at Mayo in Jacksonville

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tman1172 | @tman1172 | Mar 18 1:03pm
In reply to @gloaming "Would you be willing to share why it is that you feel, or your cardiologist or..." + (show)
@gloaming

Would you be willing to share why it is that you feel, or your cardiologist or electrophysiologist, feels that you need to be on amiodarone? You are the first person I seem to recall who is on amiodarone after an ablation, unless there are other factors at play. Some need flecainide, for example, maybe for the blanking period that follows, and some ablations fail and the patient resumes arrhythmia and needs the help of an anti-arrhythmic. Amiodarone, as you surely are aware, is a potent drug, sort of the 'last resort' drug, so I'm curious. Please don't feel the least bit inclined to reply if you'd rather not.

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And maybe it's cause I'm VTACH?

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2 replies
gloaming | @gloaming | Mar 18 5:56pm
In reply to @tman1172 "And maybe it's cause I'm VTACH?" + (show)
@tman1172

And maybe it's cause I'm VTACH?

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Ah, that might indeed be it. The VTach is still an arrhythmia, even if it is sinus. And, if it is intractable, even just for now, it is best to keep the heart as calm, stable, unstressed, and in a lower rate as possible. I'm guessing you're NOT on a rate control like diltiazem or metoprolol? I was told to stop metoprolol immediately when I was placed on amiodarone for about eight weeks. I haven't actually researched it, but in my case my heart was stopping for up to eight seconds at a time. One nurse came running into the room only find me chatting with my wife. She held out the index fingers of both hands, about a foot apart, and said her monitor had showed no heart beat over yay long. !! I went on amiodarone after that, and the metoprolol was actually putting me into severe bradycardia.

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yogal | @yogal | Mar 18 5:58pm
In reply to @tman1172 "And maybe it's cause I'm VTACH?" + (show)
@tman1172

And maybe it's cause I'm VTACH?

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I'm taking amiodarone 200 mg for my a pulse rate ablation for Afib four weeks ago, as I went into Afib four days after the procedure.

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